In the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Italy, the West Indies emerged victorious by 42 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. During the match, the West Indies' skipper Shai Hope played a knock of 75 runs off just 46 deliveries, which was laced with six boundaries and four maximums. Speaking about his knock, the skipper said that he looks to make as many contributions to the team. "With the way I see it, I always think about myself trying to contribute as much as I can. As long as I'm scoring runs, I've contributed to the team in some way. Today, I thought we were good. I just wanted to balance it a bit more, give the team a bit more in the second half of the game," he said. Later, Roston Chase, Sherfane Rutherford, and Matthew Forde also displayed decent knocks. With this, the side posted a total of 165 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs. Italy's Benjamin Manenti and Crishan Kalugamage claimed two wickets each. Ali Hasan and Thomas Draca also bagged one wicket each. JJ Smuts and Grant Stewart went wicketless in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against the Caribbean. In an attempt to chase a target of 166 runs, the Italians were bowled out for 123 runs in 18 overs. Benjamin emerged as the top scorer for the side as he scored 26 runs off 21 balls, including two boundaries and a maximum. Smuts also accumulated 24 runs in 27 balls, with the help of three boundaries. West Indies' Shamar Joseph returned with the figures of four wickets for 30 runs in four overs. Matthew Forde also claimed three wickets by conceding 19 runs in his spell of four overs. Gudakesh Motie and Akeal Hosein picked up two and one wickets, respectively. Jason Holder went wicketless in the T20 World Cup2026 match against Italy. T20 World Cup 2026, Super 8: Group 1 teams Having qualified for the "Super 8" stage of the global showpiece, the West Indies have been placed in Group 1 along with teams India, South Africa and Zimbabwe. They will face Zimbabwe on February 23 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. (With ANI Inputs)
19 February,2026 05:13 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIndia all-rounder Shivam Dube credited former skipper MS Dhoni for bringing clarity to his batting approach after he played a match-winning 67-run knock against the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday. Dube admitted that he initially struggled against pace bowling during the early phase of his career, but Dhoni's advice about strike rotation and smart intent has significantly improved his game in pressure situations. “When I first came into the IPL, I struggled against fast bowlers and wasn’t striking the ball cleanly. I realised that if I want to dominate at this level and I have the power, I needed to work on that aspect. I put in significant effort during the off-season. Mahi bhai told me that it’s not necessary to hit sixes every time. Boundaries and strike rotation are equally important. "That clarity has helped me. If I get a good ball, I look for a boundary or rotate strike. In the death overs, I will naturally go harder, but early in the innings, my focus is on smart intent,” Dube told Jio Hotstar. Speaking about handling high-pressure moments, Dube emphasised the importance of batting deep and playing according to the team’s requirements. “I don’t feel pressure; I focus on the situation. If wickets fall, my responsibility is to bat deep. If I stay till the end, I know I can add 10–15 crucial runs in the final over. I avoid taking unnecessary risks in the middle overs. If the situation demands stability, I rotate strike. If the platform is set, I’m ready to attack from the first ball,” he said. Dube came to bat at a tough time during India's innings when the team was reeling at 69-3 after nine overs. He then rescued the side with a 66-run knock, which came off just 31 balls. He was also clinical with the ball, as the medium pacer took two wickets by conceding 35 runs in three overs. Courtesy of his all-around performance, he was awarded the player of the match. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
19 February,2026 04:27 PM IST | Ahmedabad | IANSGujarat Titans batter B Sai Sudharsan, who faced a lengthy spell on the sidelines after sustaining a right rib fracture during Tamil Nadu's Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh in Ahmedabad last December, has started his preparations for the IPL 2026 alongside skipper Shubman Gill. GT have begun their IPL 2026 preparations in full swing with a pre-season camp led by head coach Ashish Nehra and assistant coach Parthiv Patel at Miraj International Cricket Stadium in Nathdwara. Sudharsan, who has played six Tests and three ODIs for India, has fractured the ‘anterior cortex of the seventh right rib’ while diving to complete a run in the match. The southpaw then checked in at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where he underwent rehab. The left-hander has formed a successful opening partnership for Gujarat Titans alongside captain Gill, making his availability crucial to the franchise's plans, especially considering he was the leading run-getter in IPL 2025. Titans had retained as many as 20 players, including Gill and Sudharsan, who played pivotal roles in guiding the team to the IPL Playoffs last season. Apart from Gill and Sudharsan, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Sai Kishore, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Gurnoor Brar, Arshad Khan and Nishant Sindhu will once again don the Titans’ jersey. Among our overseas contingent, England wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler, Afghanistan spin maestro Rashid Khan, South Africa’s premier pacer Kagiso Rabada and New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips have all been retained for the IPL 2026 season. The 2022 champions strengthened their squad with five new additions as they roped in West Indies’ all-rounder Jason Holder, England’s wicketkeeper-batter Tom Banton, talented Indian fast bowler Ashok Sharma, England left-arm pacer Luke Wood and uncapped Indian speedster Prithvi Raj during the mini auction held last December. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
19 February,2026 03:49 PM IST | New Delhi [India] | IANSIn the T20 World Cup 2026 match against the Netherlands, Team India emerged victorious by 17 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. During the match, Team India's swashbuckling opening batsman Abhishek Sharma departed on a three-ball duck. This also marked his third duck in the ongoing global showpiece. Speaking about him, legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar feels that the left-handed batsman is under pressure of being the big six-hitter and top batsman. He also said that Abhishek should not try to smash a maximum or a boundary on the very first ball of his innings. "Abhishek Sharma is a lovely guy, but expectations seem to be weighing on him. If he had started well against USA, it would have been different. Now, the pressure of being the big six-hitter and top batter is showing. With his shot range, he needs to spend time in the middle. He cannot try to hit a boundary or six on the first ball of his innings. If the big shots come, fine. But he shouldn't force himself to play the big shots across the line," he said on Star Sports. The former cricketer also said that Abhishek should take an over or two to settle at the crease and then showcase his natural game. "Take a single and get off the mark. Even four dot balls don't matter. He can make up for them later. He needs to play smart at the start. Spend an over or two settling in, then play his natural game. First, just get off the mark. Every batter wants that first run. Once he gets it, everything will fall into place," said Gavaskar. The "Men in Blue" will now lock horns with South Africa in the "Super 8" stage of the tournament. The match is scheduled to be played on February 22 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India's squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (WK), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan (WK), Rinku Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Tilak Varma. (With PTI Inputs)
19 February,2026 03:49 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentSkipper Shai Hope struck a fluent 75 but first-timers Italy pulled things back superbly with a disciplined bowling effort to restrict two-time champions West Indies to 165 for six in their final group league fixture of the T20 World Cup here on Thursday. On a batting-friendly surface where England's 200-plus total was nearly chased down in the previous game, the target of 166 looked underwhelming at the innings break as Italy's spinners led by Ben Manenti (2/37) and Crishan Kalugamage (2/25) choked the run flow in the back end. It would have been worse for the Windies had Grant Stewart not leaked 19 runs in the penultimate over, with Sherfane Rutherford (24 not out from 15 balls) and Matthew Forde (16 not out; 8b) propping up the total. Hope batted effortlessly, bringing up a 28-ball fifty while striking four sixes and six fours in a 46-ball knock, but Roston Chase's sluggish 24 off 25 balls (2x4) hurt the momentum. It dragged the Windies innings down, and even as Hope got boundaries at will, Chase looked tentative, and struggled to rotate the strike before holing out to deep forward square. The pressure mounted with two quick wickets -- Chase and Rovman Powell (9) -- as experienced off-spinner Manenti and Sri Lanka-origin leg-spinner Crishan Kalugamage turned the tide in Italy's favour. Manenti struck in successive overs, including taking the key wicket of Powell, while Kalugamage delivered the decisive blow by cleaning up Hope with a delivery that was sliding in, even as the batter left his stumps exposed. The leg-spinner also removed Jason Holder (9) to tighten Italy's grip. JJ Smuts was tidy with the new ball, conceding just 27 runs in his four overs without success, as Italy's disciplined attack denied West Indies their customary late surge. Despite Hope's brilliance and a 64-run stand with Chase, West Indies faltered in the final 10 overs. Opting to bowl, Italy struck with left-arm seamer Ali Hasan removing Brandon King (4) with his first ball. But Hope, fresh from an unbeaten 61 against Nepal, counterattacked in style drilling a wide half-volley from fast bowler Thomas Draca through extra-cover. Hasan then erred in line as Hope crashed two more fours through the off side before pulling him for a six over square leg in a 14-run over. However, Draca hit back to remove the in-form Shimron Hetmyer (1). The pacer drew an outside edge as Hetmyer sliced a catch to short third -- his first single-digit score of the tournament -- after knocks of 64, 23 and 46 not out. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
19 February,2026 01:46 PM IST | Kolkata | PTIAt just 14, prolific batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is a household name in Indian cricket. So anything he does, or for that matter, doesn’t do, becomes news. Lately, Sooryavanshi was in the news in the build-up to the Class 10 CBSE examinations which he was supposed to appear for. However, in a bold move, the young top-order batter, has now decided to skip the exams this year to focus on his cricketing journey. Rajasthan Royals’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the IPL match vs Gujarat Titans in Jaipur last year. Pic/AFP According to his father, Sanjeev Sooryavanshi, Vaibhav, who smashed a match-winning 175 off 80 balls in the U-19 World Cup final against England at Harare earlier this month, guiding India to a sixth title, will appear for the exams next year instead. “My son is practising in Nagpur with the Rajasthan Royals IPL team members. There was a lot of hype around his exams this year, so he has decided to skip them and will appear next year,” Sooryavanshi Sr told mid-day from his hometown, Samastipur, in Bihar. Sanjeev Sooryavanshi Sooryavanshi amassed 252 runs in seven IPL games, including a century, at an impressive strike-rate of 206.55 in his debut season for RR last year. It is no wonder then that his hometown is flooded with as many as 500 visitors arriving daily to catch a glimpse of him. And Sanjeev said that although there was proper security and a police escort had been offered, managing the situation alongside the exams would’ve been tough on the youngster. “Had he appeared for the exams, he would not have been able to concentrate,” said the concerned father, admitting that had the boy fared badly, it could have led to “negative publicity,” which they wanted to avoid. Sanjeev however, emphasised that his son is a brilliant student. “Vaibhav was good in studies when he was regular at school. He used to get above 90 per cent in all subjects, but now his priority is cricket,” concluded Sanjeev. 175Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s score in the U-19 World Cup final 01No. of centuries scored by Sooryavanshi in IPL 2025 252No. of runs for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in seven IPL 2025 matches
19 February,2026 09:43 AM IST | Mumbai | Bipin DaniIndia batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has revealed that former Australia skipper Greg Chappell initiated the letter of appeal for ex-Pakistan captain Imran Khan which was eventually signed by 14 former national team skippers. “It’s an initiative from Greg Chappell,” Gavaskar, 76, told mid-day on Wednesday, adding, “He drafted the letter, sent it to us and few of us spoke and decided to sign it. I discussed it with Kapil and we felt we should be supporting the move.” The letter urges the government of Pakistan to look into the condition of the 1992 World Cup-winning captain currently languishing in a jail. Elaborating on the concept of the letter, Kapil Dev said that it’s a plea which keeps politics aside and purely aimed at helping a colleague. “Let law take its own way, but Imran should get the best of treatment. We played together, so we have to be with him, no politics here. It’s an open letter, just to bring it to the notice of the janta [public]. Open letters need not be addressed to any individual,” Kapil Dev told mid-day.
19 February,2026 08:46 AM IST | Mumbai | Debasish DattaCorbin Bosch and Anrich Nortje shared five wickets between themselves before Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton hit brisk 30s respectively as South Africa maintained their unbeaten record by registering a six-wicket win over the UAE in their final Group D match of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday. The result ensured the Proteas go to the Super Eights as the lone unbeaten team from their group, finishing with four wins from as many games. They will next face defending champions India in their opening Super Eights game at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Under overcast skies and with floodlights turned on, Bosch used the damp conditions well and short balls to great effect to pick 3-12, while Nortje took 2-28. Left-arm spinner George Linde kept things tight with 1-17 as UAE's innings lost momentum after a brisk start and eventually made 122/6. South Africa’s aggressive approach in the powerplay, where they hit 11 boundaries and a six to reach 58/2, effectively settled the contest. Though they lost Aiden Markram early after making 28 off just 11 balls, Rickelton steadied the innings with a fluent 30 off 16 balls. Brevis struck a four and three sixes in making 36 off 25 balls, as the Proteas reached the target in 15.4 overs to maintain their unbeaten slate in the league stage. Pushed into batting first, Kagiso Rabada found pace and bounce, though Aryansh Sharma top edged him for a six in the opening over. A change in bowling plan for Rabada didn't work well as Muhammad Waseem smacked him for three consecutive boundaries. The pair added 36 runs for the first wicket before Linde's introduction in the fifth over provided the breakthrough for South Africa as he trapped Waseem lbw for 22. Bosch tightened the screws when he dismissed Aryansh with a short ball, top-edged to Quinton de Kock for 13. Bosch struck again in his next spell, removing the in-form Sohaib Khan for six, as he edged behind to de Kock moving to his right. Linde and Nortje kept the pressure on UAE, with Linde accounting for Syed Haider - a top-edge pulled to mid-wicket. Amidst all this, Alishan Sharafu gave 14,400 fans plenty to cheer by striking five fours and a six to make 45 off 38 balls. He had a charmed life with two reprieves, but Nortje took him out when he pulled to mid-wicket, who ran back to take the grab and avoided a collision with his team-mates. Sharafu's dismissal ensured UAE didn't get the required finishing kick as Bosch returned to dismiss Muhammad Arfan for 11. UAE never recovered momentum after the power-play, as they made 25 runs in the last five overs. South Africa's innings began after a 45-minute rain delay. After Dhruv Parashar kept things tight by conceding only one run in the opening over, Aiden Markram broke free by flicking Junaid Siddique for two boundaries, before de Kock thumped him over mid-wicket for a third boundary of the over. Markram followed it up by taking Haider Ali to the cleaners - flicking, cutting, pulling and slicing for three fours and a six. But Haider struck back by drawing Markram to pull and hit top of leg-stump for 28 off just 11 balls. De Kock then took charge, pulling and cutting Siddique for boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking. Rickelton joined in by punching Parashar off the back foot for four and cutting Muhammad Jawadullah twice. But Jawadullah turned the tide in the fifth over by dismissing de Kock, who sliced to deep backward point. With Rickelton around, Brevis announced himself with a flurry of strokes - edging Jawadullah for four, and then launched him to the top tier at mid-wicket for a six that drew gasps of awe from the crowd. He followed it up with another maximum over extra cover off Haider Ali, while Rickelton pulled and slog-swept Muhammad Farooq for a brace of maximums. Though Rickelton fell when he mistimed a pull to deep square leg off Farooq for 30 off 16 balls, Brevis entertained the crowd with a nonchalant smash over long-on fence off Muhammad Arfan, before mistiming a slog to long-off. Tristan Stubbs and Jason Smith knocked off the remaining runs to ensure South Africa entered the Super Eights with another commanding win. Despite dropping four catches in the field, the Proteas had done enough to complete their group stage commitments with an unbeaten record. Brief Scores: UAE 122/6 in 20 overs (Alishan Sharafu 45, Muhammad Waseem 22; Corbin Bosch 3-12, Anrich Nortje 2-28) lost to South Africa 123/4 in 13.2 overs (Dewald Brevis 36, Ryan Rickelton 30; Muhammad Arfan 1-16, Muhammad Farooq 1-19) by six wickets. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 February,2026 08:45 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSPakistan rode on Sahibzada Farhan's scintillating, maiden hundred and their spinners' excellent display to beat Namibia by a handsome margin of 102 runs and enter the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup here Wednesday. Batting first, Pakistan posted a formidable 199 for three in their must-win game. Farhan, who needed just 20 deliveries to move from 50 to 100, ended on 100 not out off 58 balls, becoming only the second player from Pakistan to score a century in the tournament after Ahmed Shehzad's ton against Bangladesh in 2014 at Mirpur. In all, Farhan hit 11 boundaries and four sixes while adding 67 runs with skipper Salman Agha (38 off 23 balls) and 81 runs with Shadab Khan (36 not out off 22 balls). In reply, Namibia were all out for 97 in 17.3 overs with mystery spinner Usman Tariq (4/16 in 3.3 overs) and leg-spinner Shadab Khan (3/19 in 4 overs) leading Pakistan's charge with the ball, picking up four and three wickets respectively. Salman Mirza and Mohammad Nawaz chipped in with a wicket each as Namibia fared miserably in the chase to finish their campaign winless after four outings. With this win, Pakistan have also ensured their qualification to the next edition of the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand in 2028. This is also Pakistan's biggest margin of victory in the T20 showpiece. Earlier, Pakistan managed 47 runs in the powerplay for the loss of Saim Ayub's (14 off 12 balls) wicket. Seeking to recover from the heavy defeat to traditional rivals India, Pakistan strengthened their batting with the inclusion of Khawaja Nafay in the middle order while leaving out the woefully out-of-sorts pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi. While the team did get the occasional boundaries, their approach was far from ideal as they resorted to defensive batting, which pretty much explained why they were 55 for one after overs at the Sinhalese Sports Club. However, skipper Salman Agha broke the shackles at the start of the ninth overs with a six off Willem Myburgh, the batter coming down the track to smack one over long-on. Taking a cue from his captain, Farhan launched into leg-spinner Myburgh for a big six over deep mid-wicket, and then, sent his tossed up googly soaring over the same region in a similar fashion, using the slog sweep to good effect on both occasion. The three sixes in one over gave Pakistan's run rate a boost and Salman Agha then lofted Bernard Scholtz straight down the ground for another maximum. However, Agha was out caught by Gerhard Erasmus off Brassell in the next over. Picked for this game, Nafay began with a boundary after he rocked back to cut the ball through backward point. Nafay' brief stay though was cut short when he was caught and bowled by Namibian skipper Erasmus. Meanwhile, Farhan continued to spearhead Pakistan's batting, cutting, pulling and driving with finesse to dominate Namibian bowlers. Shadab ended the Pakistan innings with a couple of sixes against Erasmus in the last over. The total proved to be more than sufficient for Pakistan. TwoSahibzada Farhan is the second Pak batter to score a T20 World Cup hundred (after Ahmed Shehzad in 2014) p>This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 February,2026 08:45 AM IST | Colombo | PTIFormer Australia skipper Greg Chappell clarified that the group of captains, who wrote an open letter to draw the attention of the Pakistan government towards the plight of a jailed Imran Khan, did not approach any Pakistani players to seek help for their “friend” as they wanted to keep politics out of it. “We did not approach any Pakistanis. I/we have approached this as a human rights issue, not a political issue. It is hard to avoid politics in a politically charged atmosphere, but I think it weakens our voice if we get into the weeds of politics. This is sticking up for a friend and human being,” Chappell, 77, told mid-day.
19 February,2026 08:43 AM IST | Mumbai | Debasish DattaJ&K pacer Auqib Nabi, 29, with his nine-wicket match haul (5-87 & 4-36), has almost single-handedly helped them beat Bengal by six wickets to enter their maiden Ranji Trophy final, where they meet Karnakata on Feb 24 in Bengaluru. The star pacer, who is the second highest wicket-taker with 55 scalps this season, though credited his teammates for helping J&K make history. “It [maiden Ranji final] is a very, big thing. There’s nothing better than this for us. This is a total team effort. We have helped JKCA [Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association] create history. It feels good to be a part of history,” Nabi told mid-day over the phone from Kolkata. When asked about becoming the first J&K bowler to pick 50-plus wickets in a season, Nabi replied. “I’m a team man. You cannot win alone. If you see, [pacer] Sunil Kumar claimed four wickets [4-27]. [Pacer] Yudhvir Singh [2-29] gave us two crucial wickets in the second innings. I’m very satisfied with my performance. It feels great when the team is winning due to your bowling.”
19 February,2026 08:41 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureADVERTISEMENT
